


Romance is Dead

by lovekernel



Category: Casualty (TV)
Genre: F/F, Sort Of, a short one, fake relationship au, its a
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 21:57:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15180239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovekernel/pseuds/lovekernel
Summary: Alicia and Bea run into a one-night-stand of Bea’s from college





	Romance is Dead

Bea and Alicia found a table by the window of their favourite coffee shop. Ordinarily, the place was buzzing and it was impossible to get an empty table, but since they came straight after their night shift, it had only just opened and they were alone besides a few businessmen, minutes before the morning rush began.

Alicia put her cup down on the table and collapsed into an armchair. “God, it feels so good to sit down!”

“I forgot what this felt like,” Bea murmured in reply, sinking down in her own chair and staring out the window, her eyes half-closed.

A father walked in with two screaming children and Alicia groaned. “Sometimes I wish kids came with a silent button,” she said just a little too loudly.

Another parent caught her eye and frowned. Alicia looked away quickly to the window while Bea kept nodding tiredly in agreement.

Bea took her cup off the table and rested it on her chest taking little sips and still gazing out of the rainy window while Alicia switched back to people watching.

“Hmm,” Alicia said interestedly out of the blue, looking over Bea’s shoulder.

Bea looked over at Alicia and licked coffee foam off her lips. “What?”

“I may be wrong but think we’re being watched.”

Bea followed Alicia’s eye-line and turned her head to see a blonde woman standing at the counter quickly turn her face away from sight.

Bea turned back to Alicia and straightened up immediately with a startled expression.

“Friend of yours?” Alicia asked, amused by Bea’s flustered attempts to hide herself behind her hair.

“Nope!” Bea whispered, crossing her arms and sliding them across the table, hunching her shoulders as if that would make her disappear.

Alicia scrunched her nose and hissed through her teeth.

“An ex then? What’s her name?”

“Fiona. And no. Ex implies she’s an ex-something,” Bea said, looking pained by the memory of this woman. “It was one night! She was just especially clingy.” She rearranged her hair again, drawing it off her shoulders and letting it hang like a curtain in front of her face.

Alicia laughed. “Bea, come on. Your hair is bright red! Plus, she’s already seen us.”

“I don’t know what else to do!”  
Bea sighed and put her elbows on the table, shielding the sides of her face with her hands. “Is she still looking?”

Alicia looked around Bea and saw Fiona talking to the cashier and paying for her drink. “No.”

Bea nodded, unassured. “Okay.”

“So, what did she do to cause this sort of response?” Alicia asked Bea, still keeping an eye on Fiona, who was at the end of the counter waiting for her drink.

“We slept together, I was a little tipsy and obviously my judgment wasn’t the best.”

“She’s pretty...”

“That’s not what I meant! I generally avoid the ones that are too cosy.”

Alicia scoffed. “Romance truly is dead.”

“Oh stop, it was just a bit of fun!” Bea said, exasperated. “Anyway, I had a lecture in the morning so I... ditched her before she woke up.”

“Very classy! No note even?”

“Quit it with the judgement! I didn’t think it was a big deal. Anyway, she obviously didn’t feel the same way and she kept trying to talk to me again. Like, very persistently. I tried talking to her at first but I ended up blocking her on all social media.”

“Yikes.”

“It was a really long time ago, maybe she’s over it.” Bea looked hopeful for a moment, then she grimaced. “Probably not, judging by her messages.”

Alicia saw Fiona take her paper cup and walk towards the door, only to stop on the spot and turn around. Alicia looked back at Bea who was rubbing her temples.

“God, I’m so glad I didn’t give her my phone number, I’d have had to chan-

“Bea, shh,” Alicia interrupted, “She’s coming this way.”

“What?” Bea said, suddenly stiff and wide-eyed.

Alicia shook her head and smiled. “Chill.” She winked. “I’ve got this.”

“What the hell does that-“

“Bea!”

Fiona appeared at Bea’s shoulder. She stood next to their table looking between Bea and Alicia, holding a stiff smile. “It’s good to see you,” she said, focusing on Bea for a moment.

Bea automatically threw up a confident facade, albeit less effective than what she was usually able to come up with. “Fiona! Hi!”

“You remember me, then.” Fiona nodded tensely and looked to Alicia, who gave her a warm, welcoming smile. “Who’s your friend?” Fiona asked.

Bea was a touch unnerved by Alicia’s face. “Oh, um, this is-“

“I’m Alicia,” Alicia said confidently. She held out her hand to Fiona. “Bea’s girlfriend.”

Fiona took her hand and shook it. “Girlfriend? Really?”

She looked to Bea, who switched her stunned expression to an easy grin the instant she felt Fiona’s eyes on her. “Yes! My girlfriend.”

Fiona looked back at Alicia and Bea’s smile fell at once, staring at Alicia and trying to communicate ‘what the hell’ through raised eyebrows.

“I thought Bea wasn’t the... commitment type,” Fiona said, popping the ‘p’ on her last syllable.

Alicia nodded. “Well, I guess she wasn’t. Until she met me!” She reached over the table and took Bea’s hand. “We’ve been together about four, maybe five months now? Right Bea?”

Bea nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! Yeah, almost five months.”

“I suppose Bea is just picky. Though she does have great taste.”

Fiona stood back from the table, looking a bit meek. “Wow.”

“Sorry!” Alicia said, shaking her head, “I didn’t even get your name!”

“Oh, it’s Fiona.”

“Fiona! So, how do you know Bea?”

“We only met once. Actually, I just came over to say hello. I’d better go. It was good seeing you Bea, and nice to meet you Alicia.”

Alicia waved cheerily with her free hand as Fiona left the table. “You too! Bye!”

She watched Fiona leave the coffee shop and walk out of sight, then looked back at Bea, who sat staring at her, bewildered.

“I think that went rather well, don’t you?” Alicia said, taking a sip of her coffee.

“That,” Bea said. “That was amazing! You are an angel! And a genius!” She held Alicia’s hand between both of hers and bowed her head. “I owe you my life.”

“I’ll accept a muffin in thanks.”

Bea let go of her hand and looked up. “You’ve got it! How did you come up with that so quickly?”

Alicia shrugged. “It just felt right.”

Bea stood up. “I’ll go get you that muffin. What’re you feeling?”

“Eh, get whatever looks good.”

“Got it. Back in a sec.” Bea grinned and turned on the spot, flipping her hair as she went.

Alicia watched her at the counter, flirting with the cashier (Alicia knew her moves by this point, not that Bea had to put much effort in), and she wondered how no one had managed to nail Bea down yet, even just temporarily. There were probably quite a few Fionas out there, well, maybe less obsessive but still, women who’s lives Bea had flown in and out of, leaving nothing but a couple of red hairs on the pillow. She certainly wasn’t easy to forget.

Bea came back and sat down, sliding a plate with a blueberry muffin on it across the table to Alicia.

“Got the classic, and,” Bea said, pulling a napkin out of her pocket and slapping it on the table, “the barista’s number!”

“She gave it to you even with your girlfriend sitting 10 feet away?”

Bea nodded proudly. “I mean I don’t know if she knew you were my girlfriend.” She rolled her eyes and shook off the act. “Anyway! You’re not my girlfriend! I don’t need to defend myself!”

Alicia shook her head and laughed. “You are totally shameless.” 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think!


End file.
